Stoicism bloomed from a philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in the 3rd century B.C.; the name stoicism is derived from the Greek words Stoa Pokile. Stoa means market place and pokile means mural paintings, and it was at this public area where the Greeks would meet and teach philosophy and were soon known as Stoics. Eventually, Stoicism expanded from Athens to Rome, where it thrived during the period of the Empire. Emperors varied in their adherence to the philosophy. For example, emperors Vespasian and Domitian despised Stoicism’s teachings, while Emperor Marcus Aurelius was devoted to it. Stoicism eventually influenced the religion of Christianity, especially the tenets and teachings of living ethically. The focus of this paper will be …show more content…
The ancient philosophy taught that having good virtue and knowledge would allow the wise to live in harmony with the divine Logos. Stoics believed that an individual’s purpose was to develop a true reality, and used their code of ethics to live a good life. Stoics believed that morality would bring happiness and satisfaction into their lives. Morality is the only appropriate form of good. Mercy, wisdom, courage, friendship, moderation, and nature were important virtues to Stoics. Stoics who possessed these qualities found great benefit in them and believed no one could ever take them away. Stoic ethics were based on the doctrine that everything is derived from nature and goes back to nature. This concept is known as okeosis or familiarization. Okeosis drives living beings to strive for self-preservation, focusing on what is most important through constant continuation. Self-preservation is the value that enhances the good of living beings. The actions and choices of living beings are transformed by thought which in turn changes physical ideology. Ethics is what makes humans do what they think is right in order to avoid what might cause harm. Being “selfish or self-centered is the basis for all stoic ethics.”
Stoicism originated from a philosophy which evolved and became a part of religious teachings. Many early emperors used Stoicism as a guideline for how to live a good and ethically sound life. Stoicism is still a viable philosophy that can be applied to everyday life. The importance of nature in the universe, living an ethical life, and finding the meaning of the world through Logos are tenets of Stoicism that will continue to be important and